First post, by Intel486dx33
I wanted to build a Windows 95 era gaming computer with “plug and play” components.
Just plug in these cards and Win95 install will automatically detect these cards and install the drivers to get it working.
No hardware conflicts or incompatibilities. Easy as Lego's.
“Plug and Pray” is what users of Win-95 computers use to say when adding NEW cards to the computer because
Most old cards did NOT work in Win-95 when it first came out in 1995.
There were always conflicts in IRQs and Resources and drivers.
Here is what I came up with.
Specs:
Operating system - Windows 95b
1) Motherboard - Acorp 5vx2 with Intel 430vx Chipset motherboard.
* Basically a strip down Intel 430vx motherboard. ( Super easy to install )
2) Motherboard - FIC PT-2006 with Intel 430vx and USB ( With USB a little more difficult to install )
3) Motherboard - Intel Shuttle 569a , 430tx with USB ( Most difficult to install )
CPU - ( Socket 7 ) 75mhz thru 233mhz Pentium class CPU. ( AMD k5,K6 or Intel Pentium )
Motherboard cache - 256kb to 512kb
Memory - 16mb up to 64mb.
Hard drive - Western Digital 7.2 gb. ( IDE )
Video card - S3 trio64 ( PCI ) ( Plug-n-play)
*S3 trio64 DX ( PCI ) ( Requires drivers but supports more games )
Sound card - Sound Blaster AWE64 ( CT4500 ) or ( CT4520 ) ( plug-n-play )
* Sound Blaster AWE32 ( Plug-n-Play )
* Sound blaster 16 ( plug-n-play )
* Media Vision PAS 16 ( plug-n-play )
* Sound Blaster AWE32 ( Plug-n-play )
Network card - For “Plug-n-Play” I use the “3com 3c509 ether link III” network card.
* I actually used this Netgear FA-310tx card which require an additional driver install.
CDROM - 4x or higher ( IDE )
These are all “Plug and Play” components with drivers included in WIndows 95b install CD.
The AWE64 will work and sounds great with default Win95b included drivers but you dont get all the
Additional programs and feature of the sound card. So it is best to install the Sound Blaster software.
From my observation. The AWE64 provides the best sound quality and sounds are closer to the “Roland GS” MIDI standards than the
Sound blaster 16 with Yamaha OPL. That's why I choose the AWE64 sound card.
Link: http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … d=9&menustate=0
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … 832&menustate=0
I am using an Intel Pentium 75 CPU right now but I plan on changing that for an AMD K6 200mhz CPU.
However works fine with 75mhz CPU or higher.
This motherboard has some limitations
Limitations are:
75 thru 200mhz Socket 7 CPU.
Up to 64mb EDO ram
Up to 8gb IDE hard drive. ( Will work with larger capacity hard drives but bios is limited to 8gb capacity volumes )
Up to 512kb motherboard cache.
But these motherboards have a good bios with lots of tweaking settings available.